Behavioral Interviews typically incorporate very difficult questions used to target your competencies. The idea behind behavioral interviewing is that “behaviors you have demonstrated in the past will better predict your behaviors or performance in the future.” For example, if you can demonstrate to an employer that you “take the extra step”, the employer is safe to assume that in the future you will again “take that extra step.”
How can I prepare for a behavioral interview?
Analyze the skills sought by the employer: As previously stated, employers using behavioral interviewing have determined the skills important to the job prior to interviewing candidates. Skills sought by employers will vary by organization, and perhaps even the specific position within the organization. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, here are the top skills and qualities that employers generally seek:
- Career & Self-Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork T
- echnology
How to form answers to these questions: use the STAR method!
Situation Task Action Result
Negative STAR (try not to use these) - “Last Tuesday our computer system crashed. I was sure it would be down the rest of the day. So, rather than have people stand around, I sent them home early. An hour later, it was up and running again. Naturally, we lost time and money that day.”
Positive STAR (much better way to answer) - “The quality control checks showed that we were producing too many defective units. Despite the fact that orders were backing up, I shut down the line and did some troubleshooting for problems. The very next day we were producing top quality units and the defects were below 5 percent again.”
